June 10, 2011

From Mason To Minister: Through The Lattice by Neil Cullan McKinlay

From Mason To Minister: Through The Lattice is a poetic memoir of author, Neil Cullan McKinlay's quest to find the truth while knowing God.

Neil Cullan McKinlay was born in Canada, raised in Scotland and now lives in Australia. As a child, his family never mentioned anything about Jesus Christ, his childhood home was such that they didn't worship or live by the laws of God. He was disappointed to learn that his father was not a Freemason and Neil wondered and worked towards becoming one himself.

After moving back to Canada in his young adulthood, Neil finds his way to the Mason meetings and the tenets that are required to climb through the degrees of masonry! With great detail given to the performance one is required to climb the ranks, such as, writing essays, performing plays and taking oaths of secrecy etc. Neil was sure he was at the top of his game, belonging to a prestigious club for men, he could reach his dreams and goals, however, he was left disheartened.

With all the pageantry and analogies that make up Freemasonry, Neil feels like there is something missing from his life. The Masons explained religion in a textbook style with much hypocrisy, very few of the men who took the vows, actually lived by them. It was all pomp and circumstance and Neil's time with the Masons was short-lived when he came to truly know Jesus Christ and the Living God.

Turning back on the dogma of the Masons, Neil becomes an ordained minister and preaches to the people the real truth. The decision to reveal all he knows about the Masons, came with much consternation and thought, and putting his faith in God, he choose to share all the secrets that the Free Masons hold so dear.

I find the subject material fascinating, however, the prose itself is dry, with a lot of rehashing of thoughts from the author. I enjoyed watching the migration of Neil's religious patterns, his questions are solid and the answers he finds hold true to his self. I loved how he listened to the messages from God that he was receiving that his life could be better fulfilled, preaching, instead of being a lackey to a mega organization whose secrets run deeper than time itself.

I really enjoyed all the historical references shared, as well as, the courage it took to write this book. After reading Neil's account of Free Mason initiations to the next degree or level, I have to wonder how grown men could behave in such a childish manner, then I shuddered thinking these same men hold many powerful positions in our society.

Frankly, many of the situations the Free Masons practice are dangerously close to homosexual acts, in my honest opinion. Men getting together to dress up and act out plays is a very strange custom to have read about and lets not forget, it appears very "cultish" . I have never read some of the rites that Neil has shared with the reader and was most appalled to learn what I did. REALLY?? Men behave in such a manner, well, its no wonder our world is in such a desolate situation. I commend Neil Cullan McKinlay for stepping away from such barbaric and childish behaviour and walking the true path to enlightment!

The book clearly emphasizes the differences between the God of the Freemasons and the True Living God. It explains the lip service of Freemasons with great depth and detail and supports the truth with passages from the bible and other historical references. If your looking to break from the lies and walk into the truth, this is a great read, or if your looking for help to turn someone off the wrong path (Freemasonry) and onto the goodly path of God, then this book will give you some ideas to help keep you focused and proof to back your claims.

In all honesty, my dude was recently invited to become a Freemason, my moral tenets screamed..."NOOOO!!"...He was intrigued with how everyone is successful, while he struggles to put food on our table, the "golden" charm snaked around him and we fought. He believed me to be jealous because I was a woman and excluded, already the evil of the "cult" was changing who he was. I have since put this book in his hands and told him to read it. I don't think he is as willing to walk that path as he once was, thank you Neil for your gift, without this book our lives may have taken a path I would not have wished to travel!

SYNOPSIS:
An adventurous, captivating and poetic memoir of the author's courageous and spiritual journey from Scotland to Canada to Australia in his quest to "find the Truth and know the living God." Neither an apologetic nor a polemic, he corrects much misinterpretation and misunderstanding of Freemasonry. We learn how inspiration from Masonic teachings about Solomon's Temple, the arch, and keystone led him to a deep study of the revelation from the Bible of "the stone the builders rejected"; which is Christ. Readers will be uplifted, inspired, and delighted as they follow along with him in the discovery of his calling to become a minister.

** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **